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I went to the Dallas one last year. Dr. Bowman was the conductor, although it looks like someone else is doing it this year.

We rehearsed standing up in a loud and pretty packed room. There was a pretty good mix of high school kids, college students, community amateurs, professionals and retired professionals. I remember there being an old woman who apparently played trombone in one of the British orchestras a long time ago.

The performance was outside, we stood on a hill and our audience stood around us. It had to have been the coldest day of the year, but there were a TON of people there to watch - there would have been even more if it hadn't been for the weather.

It was lots of fun, if you live in the area you should definitely go to either the Ft. Worth or Dallas TUBACHRISTMAS. You might even get on the evening news.

- Crappy

Fort Worth - downtown Sundance Square on Christmas eve.
Dallas - downtown Thanksgiving Square Dec 23.
Registration/rehearsal in the morning...concert at noon.
That's the way it has been for quite a while.

For some reason, the D/FW dates and specifics usually show up only a few weeks in advance on the Tubachristmas website.
Steve Shoop is usually the organizer and always has some pretty great guest conductors.

JimG

AWESOME!!!
I stand (er...sit) corrected.
I'm going to the Fort Worth event this year.

With Steve Shoop in charge, DFW TubaChristmas is always great. But Ev Gilmore, longtime TubaChristmas champion in D/FW and the region, will truly be missed.

I hope someone will be able to pay tribute to the memory of this great man at this year's events.

David Spies

I send out press releases and flyers (email versions) sometime during the second or third week of November. Persons interested in participating in the Dallas and/or Fort Worth concerts may send me an email request-- and I'll see that you receive this information. (You may also check the national website-- Tubachristmas.com for updated information). Guest conductors for 2005 are Douglas Stotter, Director of Bands- Uniiversity of Texas at Arlington (Fort Worth) and Chuck Mandernach (Dallas). Steve Shoop-- stephen_shoop@yahoo.com

I have gone to the Dallas event for many years. I won't say for how many (I'm still prematurely gray, thank you. Well, prematurely white haired. I've probably earned gray by now.) Even if I couldn't play the concert I would go to Dallas just for the experience of rehearsing in the very live rehearsal space with 150-175 other tubas and euphoniums. Every molecule of your body and horn resonates. It's like the music is as much tactile as aural.

MichaelDenney wrote:I have gone to the Dallas event for many years. I won't say for how many (I'm still prematurely gray, thank you. Well, prematurely white haired. I've probably earned gray by now.) Even if I couldn't play the concert I would go to Dallas just for the experience of rehearsing in the very live rehearsal space with 150-175 other tubas and euphoniums. Every molecule of your body and horn resonates. It's like the music is as much tactile as aural.

Try the basement of Radio City with 400 to 600 low brass for the NYC Tuba Christmas. OK, not everyone shows up for the rehearsal, but there are usually at least 2-300 for that. I haven't been there since 2002 because I moved to VIrginia in 2003, but it was an experience every year.

I may have to take the time to get to the DC one this year.